


We can’t leave this Pygmy puff alone, it’s Christmas!

by HufflepuffCariad



Series: Shipmas 2018 [7]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Shipmas, Shipmas 2018, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-09-24 06:00:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17095160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HufflepuffCariad/pseuds/HufflepuffCariad
Summary: Thanks Littlerose 13 for the prompt: We can’t leave this Pygmy puff alone, it’s Christmas!Scorpius hasn't managed to persuade Albus to get a pet. Albus agrees to help out at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.





	We can’t leave this Pygmy puff alone, it’s Christmas!

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this is late, but as I'd written most of it I thought I would post anyway. I didn't manage to do all 12, but thanks littlerose13- I've really enjoyed taking part and it really has prompted me to write more!

'Ok so we can't get a crup. What about a cat? Or a kneazle?'

'Scorpius we can't get a pet! We both work long hours, we're both on call 24/7, if we both get called out we'd have to leave them on their own, we don't have the jobs for pets.'

Scorpius pouted.

'Stop that it's too cute.' Albus nipped Scorpius's bottom lip. 'You know I'm not being mean, think of the poor creature, being lonely, all by itself.'

'We could-'

'No we can't get two! We can't afford it! We're saving up to buy our own place so we don't have to rely on our parents' money remember?' He frowned slightly. He knew that Scorpius was ok taking the money that Draco kept trying to give them, but Albus was determined that they would stand on their own two feet.

Scorpius made a resigned face. 'Yes I do know that, but we'd be such good pet parents Albus!'

Albus rolled his eyes. 'You're such a geek. A ridiculously cute geek, but still.'

'I'd look much cuter holding a puppy!'

'Scorpius!'

'I know I know.' he smiled softly. ' Don't you have to get going anyway?'

Albus threw back his head in frustration. 'Urgh yes. Remind me why I volunteered to do this again?'

'Because you're helpful, and kind, and a good nephew?'

'No you're the kind one' said Albus firmly, kissing him again. 'I'm just a pushover. It's my day off, I could have spent it in bed!'

'You pretend to be grumpy, but I know you're squishy inside' laughed Scorpius, poking Albus in the stomach. 'Come on it won't be that bad, I'll be at work anyway, you'd only be moping around here anyway. I'll come in and see you as soon as my shift ends.'

Albus groaned and oulled a pillow over his head. Why did Verity, Miranda and Rufus all have to be ill on the same day? And why did all his cousins seem to have plans, mysteriously hatched as soon as they knew the shop needed extra help? It was the busiest day of the year for the shop. Except perhaps the day before April Fools Day. He sighed in resignation, and pulled on his travelling cloak.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weasley's Wizard wheezes was as chaotic as he'd expected it to be. It seemed like everyone in the Wizarding World had left their Christmas shopping to the last minute, and they all seemed to want the few things that were out of stock. Ron and George had tripled the production of the most popular products over the last few months, but it still wasn't enough to appease the irate customers who felt that items should have been held back just for them. Albus's auror training came in handy more than once when forced to break up fights over the last few electric shock shakes or anti-gravity hats.

By four o'clock he was exhausted. The only consolation was that he was so busy that the day had passed quickly, but even still, he was dreaming of the shop closing and getting home, where hopefully Scorpius would give him a foot massage. He was just reflecting on this when the bell above the door jangled and in walked the man himself, beaming. Albus chuckled to himself. Scorpius loved Christmas, everything about it, even Christmas shopping, and only he could enjoy wrangling his way through the crowds and remain smiling as he narrowly avoided several elbows to the face. His cheeks were pink from the cold air and snowflakes had settled in his blonde hair, making it sparkle. Albus didn't think he'd ever seen a lovelier sight.

The last two hours of the shift went even quicker, with Scorpius at his side, taking over the gift wrapping ( a new service that the shop had added) which Albus was so bad at. This sped up the queue considerably, so that by the time people came to pay, they were decidedly less grumpy than the earlier customers had been when waiting for Albus to complete the packaging of their gifts. They made a good team, thought Albus, glancing to his right,smiling as they caught each other's eyes. 

Finally, the last customers had left, and George cast a locking charm on the door to prevent any last minute customers sneaking their way in. Albus surveyed the scene with dismay. Hardly anything remained on the shelves, but bits of the shop lay in disarray all over the place, the shop having been nearly destroyed by stampeding crowds pushing past each other. However between the four of them, it didn't take long to fix. 

' You were right about the red and green pygmies' said Ron glancing towards the almost empty cages. 'All gone. I knew we bred too many for Halloween though. These two are still here.' He gestured at two tiny orange and black pygmy puffs at the bottom of the cage.

'What's going to happen to them over Christmas?' Scorpius asked.

' We'll leave food for them, they'll be all right, we'll be back in on Boxing day. Pygmy Puffs are actually very self reliant, they can be left alone for a while, especially if there are more than one of them.'

Scorpius looked instantly at Albus.

'No, Scorpius.'

' But Albus we can't leave these alone, it's Christmas!'

Albus sighed. Scorpius was now giving him his biggest puppy dog eyes and it was adorable. He'd never been able to refuse Scorpius anything when he looked at him like that.

'Fine. But you're not naming them Bathilda and Bagshot.' Scorpius opened his mouth. 'And not Miranda and Goshawk either!'

'How did you-'

'Because I know you!' his eyes twinkled, and both boys beamed at each other.

'Urgh we were never this sickening were we?' said Ron scornfully, interrupting their moment. 'You'd never have let me live it down.'

'I'm not sure Hermione would either' grinned George. 'She doesn't really go in for mushy stuff does she? But these two are pure mush.' he wrinkled his nose.

'Oi!' said Albus, but he smiled. He didn't care if it was mushy, he loved Scorpius more than anything, especially when he got excited about something and his face lit up like it was doing now. Once he might have been embarrassed by his uncles but he really didn't care any more.

'So what do you want to be called?' asked Scorpius softly, pushing his finger through the bar of the cage to stroke the soft fur of one of the pygmies.

'You'd better name them before tomorrow' said Ron 'Or mum will name them something ridiculous that you won't ever be able to shake.' He shook his head sadly. 'Poor Pig. And Gertrude.'

'And Aeforwine' added George.

'Hmm.. well they're orange and black.. how about tiger? And Cannon, for the Chudley Cannons?'

Ron winked at him. 'You picked a good one here Albus. Even if I've never seen anything that looked less like a tiger.'

Albus rolled his eyes. 'Ok fine, well come on then Cannon, Tiger, let's get you home, my feet are killing me and I have plans for this evening which include a beer and a bath.' He linked hands with Scorpius and whispered in his ear. 'They better had be ok being left on their own because I've got plans that involve you too.'

Scorpius flushed pleasantly. 'Oh but Albus we can't leave the alone, it's Christmas!'

Albus groaned. 'I'm regretting this already!;


End file.
